Media Highlights 2014

Media Highlights and Press Releases 2014

Dr. Sammy Saab, professor of medicine in the division of hepatology and of surgery, was interviewed Dec. 4 on Sirius XM's Doctor Radio about the hepatitis C drug Harvoni.

Diet Soda May Alter Our Gut Microbes and Raise the Risk of Diabetes - NPR SegmentKirsten Tillisch, associate clinical professor of medicine in the division of digestive diseases, was interviewed for a Sept. 17 NPR segment on how diet sodas may alter gut microbes in a way that increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. Listen »

Jewish Daily Forward Focuses on Familial Mediterranean FeverAn Aug. 13 Jewish Daily Forward article covered Familial Mediterranean Fever, a rare hereditary disease that reduces the body's ability to regulate inflammation. Dr. Terri Getzug, clinical professor of medicine in the division of digestive diseases, who is a specialist on the disease, commented on the difficulty in diagnosing the condition and the importance of disease awareness. In addition, she commented about issues patients are having in obtaining a key medication due to cost and availability.

UCLA-led study identifies genetic factors involved in pediatric ulcerative colitisUCLA researchers were part of a team that has discovered the interplay of several genetic factors that may be involved in the development of early-onset ulcerative colitis, a severe type of inflammatory disease. Read full press release »

Dr. Kevin Ghassemi, assistant clinical professor of medicine in the division of digestive diseases, commented in a July 13 NBC.com story about sensitivities to milk substitutes.

UCLA Health System's Gastroenterology and GI Surgery Specialties Ranked No. 5 in the Nation in U.S. News' Annual SurveyOnce again, the UCLA Health System's hospitals in Westwood and Santa Monica have been named to U.S. News and World Report's Best Hospitals 2014-15 Honor Roll. UCLA was ranked No. 5 in the country and No. 1 in both California and the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The annual rankings, now in their 25th year, are the magazine's most exclusive rankings, recognizing hospitals that excel at treating patients who need an especially high level of care. This year's Honor Roll highlights just 17 hospitals out of nearly 5,000 nationwide for their expertise in treating the most challenging patients across a range of medical specialties.

Nine UCLA Digestive Disease Physicians Voted Best Doctors in America for 2014Best Doctors conducts an exhaustive, peer-reviewed survey of the medical profession, polling more than 50,000 doctors across the country. Doctors are asked to provide an assessment of the clinical abilities of their peers within each of the more than 400 subspecialties of medicine. The millions of individual data points collected through this process, after being compiled through algorithms that correct for statistical bias, yields the list of those physicians deemed "best" by their peers. Continuous peer-to-peer surveys help identify specialists who are considered by fellow physicians to be the most skilled in their fields and most qualified for reviewing and treating complex medical conditions.

Best Doctors objective is to identify the best trained, most experienced and most skilled specialists, regardless of where they practice. Only 5% of the doctors in any country are actually selected to become Best Doctors.

Best Doctors has earned a worldwide reputation for reliable, impartial results by remaining totally independent. Doctors are not paid to complete the survey, and cannot pay to be included in the database.

My GI Health: Reimagining the Dialogue Between Patients and PhysiciansDr. Brennan Spiegel, associate professor of medicine in the division of digestive diseases, was mentioned May 30 in an article by Medical Marketing & Media on My GI Health. Read more»

Helio Highlights Hepatitis C Treatment ResearchHelio reported May 28 on research by Dr. Sammy Saab, professor of medicine in the division of hepatology and of surgery, finding that a sofosbuvir-based regimen showed a reduced number of liver disease complications compared with patients receiving other treatments. The findings were presented at Digestive Disease Week 2014.

Dr. Sammy Saab, professor of medicine in the division of hepatology and of surgery, was quoted April 9 in a Reuters Health story on a study suggesting that a protein called adiponectin that regulates glucose levels and fatty acid breakdown can better predict the risk of atherosclerosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease than liver function tests.

Ivy Ka Man Law, PhD - Recipient of the 2014 GRG/AGA Abstract of the Year Award

Dr. Law received her PhD and MPhil degrees in Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy and Department of Zoology of the University of Hong Kong respectively. Her MPhil thesis is on the development of mucosal immunity against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus induced by recombinant adenovirus. During her PhD studies, her major focus is on the role of lipocalins in the development of insulin resistance. The other project involved the identification of possible interacting partners of Sirtuin 1 and 3, which play important roles in aging and metabolism.

The post-doctoral research of Dr. Law focuses on neurotensin receptor signaling and neurotensin-induced pro-inflammatory responses in colonocytes. Currently, she is working on a project investigating the role of neurotensin receptor internalization and recycling on the induction of pro-inflammatory responses in colonocytes and the possible mechanisms regulating colonocyte desensitization and re-sensitization.

Background and Aims: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs involved in different pathophysiological functions at the post-transcriptional level. Neurotensin (NTS)/neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1) interactions mediate intestinal inflammation and proliferation in vitro and in vivo. We have recently shown that NTS exposure to NTSR1-expressing human colonic NCM460 epithelial cells (NCM460-NTSR1) induces differential expression of miRNAs (Gastroenterology 2011;141:1749) and NTS-modulated miR-133α expression regulates the expression of its downstream target aftiphilin (AFPTH) (DDW2013: #934). Here we elucidated the mechanism by which miR-133α regulates NTS signaling in vitro, and studied the functional consequences of this response in colitis. Methods: NTS/miR-133α -regulated proinflammatory cytokine production in NCM460-NTSR1 cells and colon tissues was examined by qPCR and Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine Assay. Acute colonic inflammation was induced by intracolonic administration of TNBS (5 mg/kg, 48 h). Expression of miR-133α in the colon was inhibited by intracolonic administration of anti-sense (as)-miR-133α (2 doses, every two days) before TNBS treatment. The degree of inflammation was evaluated on distal colon segments stained with H&E. Results: MiR-133α overexpression in NCM460-NTSR1 cells increased transcription of IL-8, IL-1β and TNF-α, while its knock-down attenuated NTS-induced IL-8 and IL-6 transcription (P<0.01). Bio-plex cytokine assays showed that NTS/miR-133α/AFTPH interactions are directly involved in the production of IL-1β (P<0.05). MiR-133α knock-down in mouse colon reduced colonic cxcl1, lcn2 and TNF-α expression (P<0.05) and neutrophil infiltration (P<0.05) in response to intracolonic TNBS administration. MiR-133α levels we increased (15-times, p<0.0001) during TNBS-induced colitis. MiR-133α knock-down in vivo also improved mucosal integrity (P<0.05) and overall histological score (P<0.05), supported by increased expression of the colonic epithelial cell marker, krt20 (P<0.01). Importantly, AFTPH transcription levels were significantly lower (P=0.0104) while miR-133α levels were up-regulated in colon tissues from patients with ulcerative colitis (n=22), compared to control tissues (n-21). Conclusions: miR-133α/AFTPH interactions regulate NTS-stimulated proinflammatory response in human colonic epithelial cells. Silencing of miR-133α in the colon reduces cytokine expression and histologic damage and inflammation in mouse colitis. These results suggest that miR-133α/AFTPH interactions promote NTS-induced proinflammatory responses in the colonic mucosa. Targeting of miR-133α in the colon may represent a novel form for treatment in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Supported by NIH grant DK60729 (CP), the Blinder Research Foundation for Crohn's Disease (IKML), and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (KB).

Nancee Jaffe, a dietician with the UCLA Celiac Disease Program, commented in a March 27 Santa Cruz Sentinel article about the trend of gluten-free products and baked goods.

Documentary Highlights Gut-Brain InteractionsArte, a TV network in Europe, aired a documentary in January and March on the relationship between the gut and brain that featured UCLA research showing that ingesting probiotic bacteria can affect brain function in humans. Dr. Kirsten Tillisch, associate professor of medicine in the division of digestive diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who directs the neuroimaging core of the Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer Family Center for Neurobiology of Stress at UCLA, was interviewed.

Dr. Kirsten Tillisch, associate professor of medicine in the division of digestive diseases and director of the neuroimaging core at The Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer Family Center for Neurobiology of Stress, commented in Dr. Oz's The Good Life magazine on the role of bacteria in healthy digestion and food sensitivities that may affect the gut.

Super Bowl Party Addresses EducationA Feb. 2 Los Angeles Daily News story featured an annual Super Bowl party given by Dr. Gary Gitnick, chief of the division of digestive diseases, professor of medicine and founder of the Fulfillment Fund, a non-profit organization that helps under-served students access college through mentoring, counseling, motivational in-school curriculum and other support programs. The event was attended by a number of Los Angeles education and political leaders, including Mayor Eric Garcetti and United Teachers of Los Angeles President Warren Fletcher. A town hall panel was held during half-time to discuss key education issues.

Dr. Emeran Mayer, professor of digestive diseases, physiology and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and executive director of UCLA's Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer Family Center for Neurobiology of Stress, was quoted Jan. 26 in a London Times article about the influence of food companies on scientific research